1. Technical Field
Example embodiments relate to an imaging apparatus such as computed tomography enabling high spatial, timing and energy resolution with smaller form factor and lower power consumption.
2. Related Art
A computed tomographic (CT) system or, a CT system is now widely used for medical imaging and diagnostics. FIG. 1(a) shows a conventional CT system 100. The CT system 100 includes an imaging unit 1 including a set of sensor elements and data acquisition systems (DAS), an X-ray source 3, and a bed 5 on which an imaged object or patient 7 lies down. The X-ray source 3 projects an X-ray beam 8, for example, through the object 7 to be detected by sensor elements inside the imaging unit 1. The imaging unit 1 and the X-ray source 3 are located in an opposite position inside their housing called a gantry. The imaging unit 1 and the X-ray source 3 rotate around the object 7 taking a slice image, and the object 7 on the bed 5 is moved in a direction of Z-axis to get additional slice images. As shown in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), a Cartesian coordinate system is defined. The X-ray source 3 and the imaging unit 1 rotate on the X-Y plane, and the bed 5 and/or the object 7 moves in a direction of Z-axis which is perpendicular to the X-Y plane. The CT system 100 also includes an image processing unit 2 which performs a reconstruction of a slice image. Electrical communication between the imaging unit 1 and the image processing unit 2 is performed by a slip-ring 4. Image data obtained by the imaging unit 1 is transferred to a network interface circuit 15 in the image processing unit 2 through the slip-ring 4. A central processing unit (CPU) 16, a disk controller circuit 17, and a memory disk unit 18 reconstruct a slice image, which is displayed on an image output device 19. Moreover, a cooling system and a regulated power supply system (not illustrated), for example, should be equipped with a CT system.
Consequently, such a CT system becomes heavy, large sized and expensive machinery, which may be suitable mainly to large scale hospitals in metropolises, and less suitable for healthcare providers with smaller facilities.